


How Much

by Bofur1



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Brotherly Angst, Dreams vs. Reality, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Gen, Mid-Canon, Nightmares, Sibling Bonding, Singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-31
Updated: 2014-01-31
Packaged: 2018-01-10 16:26:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1161938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Bofur1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Whenever Nori is hurting or vulnerable, Dori sings a song.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Much

Nori's first conscious breath came as a panicked gasp. _Where is he?!_ He jerked around, struggling against his constricting bedroll. _Where--?! Ohh..._ In his relief Nori spoke the last part aloud. There was Ori, his tiny form curled up against Dori's larger one. 

"He's okay," Nori further convinced himself. Against his will he reached out, realized it and quickly retracted his hand. "Yeh, yeh, you're alright, aren't you. Of course."

Nori managed another breath as he saw that Ori was unharmed, unbound, free to sleep peacefully without any thought of danger plaguing him as it did his brother.  

 _Brothers_ in the plural, Nori soon found out, as Dori yelled something sharply in Khuzdul. He had enough time to unhook the three-headed bolas from his belt before Nori grabbed his wrist. 

"Nightmare, brother. Got that? A nightmare, nothin' else," Nori hissed urgently. 

Realization dawned on Dori's face and for a single second he looked vulnerable, even frightened. Then he glared at Nori and shook him off. "Of course I know that, Nori," he snapped. "What're you doing, calling me 'brother'? That's not like you. And what are you doing awake?" 

Nori bristled. "So I'm not allowed to be awake in the middle of the night without you knowin' why? Well, you already do, or at least I think it's happened enough that you would." 

Dori's face softened into concern. "Oh." Laying his bolas aside, he asked quietly, "What was it?" 

Nori folded his arms, muttering a curse just loud enough for Dori to hear before gesturing to one of the sleeping forms. "Thorin didn't speak up, the Goblins brought out all their torture tools and Ori took it all. End of story."  

After a moment Dori shook his head, laying down with his back to Nori. Nori was surprised and just a _tiny_ bit disappointed. 

"Wot, not going to do any of your usual stuff?" 

"No." Dori's voice was heavy with a sadness Nori had never heard before. "I'm not going to offer comfort you won't take. I'm sick of thinking that _maybe_ _this_ _time_ I might be able to reach you. Now I'm leaving you alone; isn't that what you've always wanted? Go back to--" Dori's hard swallow was nearly silent, but Nori heard it. "Never mind. Stay awake if you want to, Nori."  

Nori gaped at Dori's back for a long moment, trying to find words. At last, sounding more desperate than he meant to, Nori blurted, "What was yours? Your nightmare?"

There was such a long pause that Nori believed, to his despair, that Dori had already fallen asleep again. Then: 

"I was running through a cave tunnel without a lantern. I knew you two were somewhere in there, but I couldn't see. I fell and couldn't get up again." 

Nori was quiet. He felt something deep inside, something he had supposedly buried long ago, tug at his heart and his throat, crawling its way to his lips. 

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...You make--" Nori clamped his mouth shut, overwhelmed by embarrassment.

"You make me happy when skies are gray," Dori continued in a whisper. "You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." 

Nori managed a tense laugh. "I remember before Ori was born. I'd get home after a scrap...you'd put me on the couch with bandages and washcloths holdin' ice and you'd sing it for me."

Dori sighed heavily. "And you'd never stay awake for the last part. I would always sing it, hoping it would get into your thick head while you slept."

Nori was bewildered. "There was another part?"

"Not originally. I changed it just for you." Nori leaned forward in expectation, but no more words came. 

"Alright," Nori announced tightly after another long, uncomfortable pause. "Guess I'll just...go back to sleep." He lay down and spent the next half-hour staring up at the stars, utterly unable to relax. He turned restlessly on his side, pillowing his head with his arm. All at once he could feel every rock that jabbed him, every shiver he had because of the cold. 

Then strong, calloused, familiar fingers intertwined with his. "You are my brother, my only brother...You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, Nori, how much I love you. Come home safe and promise you'll stay."

Nori was paralyzed for many seconds, the nostalgic words a pebble in the pool of his emotions. No, more like a boulder. He found himself closing his eyes against terrible ripples of heartache. Therefore, when Dori made to move away, Nori's hand tightened around his, keeping him where he was. 

"You'll never know, either," he forced out. "You know, how much...how much." 

"Sleep, brother," Dori ordered quietly. "I'll follow after you, as always."  

Nori suddenly realized how tired he still was. _Best_ _make_ _use_ _of_ _the_ _few_ _kippin_ ' _hours_ _we_ _have_ _left,_ he decided, starting to drowse with the presence of his kin warming him inside and out. He was asleep soon enough, unable to feel the light touch of Dori's forehead against his. 


End file.
